Electric starting system for internal-combustion engines



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A. DUTREUX. ELECTRIC STARTING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. II APPLICATION FILED FEB.17| 1917- 1,352,7 94. PatentedSept. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

2 Inn's Hi0" fl A W E E v g 2 40 22 T A. DUTREUX.

EL'E CTRIC-STARTING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATIONFILED FEB. 17, 1917.

1,852,794. Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIQE.

AUGus'rn DUIREUX, 0F ISSY LES MOULINEAUX, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR 'IO sooin'rnANONYME POUR LEGLAIRAGE ELECTRIQUE DES VEHICULES, or rssr LESMOULINEAUX, FRANCE, A CORPORATION or rnanon.

ELECTRIC STARTING. SYSTEM FOR IN TERNAL-COMBUSTION" ENGINES.

Application filed February 17, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUoUs'rE DUTREUX,engineer, of 26 RuefJ. J. Rousseau, at Issy Les Moulineaux, Seine,France, citizen of the French Republic, have invented'certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Starting Systems for Internal-CombustionEngines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the systems generally employed for the electric starting ofcombustion engines complicated switches are provided, requiring numerouswires and interrupters for conducting the current to the electric motoror for insuring the necessary operations for starting the motor, aboveall when the motor is designed to serve also as a lighting generator.

here four-pole machines are employed, furnished with armature windingsin such a manner that they can operate either with two or four brushes,it has been suggested to use two brushes for generator operation, theother two serving for motor operation; the last pair of brushes aremovable, can make contact with the commutator in order to start theinternal combustion engine, and can then be raised when the starting hasbeen accomplished and the motor operates as a generator. 7

This system, which is very ingenious as it dispenses with auxiliaryapparatus, has the great objection that if the internal combustionengine does not start instantaneously a current varying from 100 to 200amperes is broken between the commutator and the brushes which serve forthe starting operation. The surface of the commutator deeriorates,therefore, in a very short time by reason of the sparking.

The present invention has for its object to provide a system whichavoids this ob jection and consists in breaking or establishing thestarting current between each brush and an auxiliary contact with whichit is provided, after the brush is put into contact with the commutator.Consequently, at the time when the brushes are either brought intocontact with the commutator or disengaged therefrom no current is madeor broken between the brushes andthe com- Patented Sept. 14, 1929.

Serial No. 149,262.

mutator, and the latter does not become deteriorated. I

The accompanying drawings show by way of example a constructional formof apparatus for carrying out in practice the system according to theinvention.

Figure 1 is a complete diagram of an arrangement comprising a dynamoelectric machine, a voltage regulator, a make and break switch, alsoshowing a constructional apparatus by which the invention can be carriedinto practice.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus for raising the brushes.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line AB, Fig.

Fig. lis a section on the line CD, Fig.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line EF, Fig.

Fig. 6is a section on the line G H, Fig.

In Fig. 1 is indicated at 1 the rotatabi armature of the dynamo electricmachine, 2 and 3 are fixed brushes serving for the operation as agenerator, 4 and 5 indicate shunt field windings, 6 and 7 are seriesfield windings. The voltage regulator indicated at 8 comprises a thickwire coil 9 and a thin wire coil 10. These coils act on an armature (notshown) controlling the contacts 11 and 12 which make and break a shortcircuit across the terminals 01 a resistance 13 in series with the fieldwindings. A fuse l i connects the regulator to the make and break switch15, which also comprises two coils, a fine wire coil 16 and a thick wirecoil 17 acting on the armature controlling the contact 18 which connectsthe dynamo in parallel with the battery 19 and the lamps 20. Theswitching apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8. 4L, 5 and 6 is in itsstarting position, the brushes 21 and 22 which serve for the operationof themachine as a motor being in contactwith the commutator. Thesebrushes are insulated in two holders 23 and 2%, secured to the ends oftwo levers 25 and 26 pivoted on pivots and 28. The pivots 27 and 28 alsoserve as pivots for two arms 33 and 3% (Figs. 2 and 5) which, by means01"" two plate springs'37 and 38, support two contact fingers 35 and 36.

The brushes 21 and 22 are pressed against the commutator by means ofsprings 29 and 30. shown in Fig. 2, one end of each spring being fixedin holes 31 in the levers 25 and 26. The other ends of the springs aresecured in two holes 32 provided in the levers s ns 33 and 34.Consequently the springs hold the two tontact fingers 35 and pressed onthe carbon brushes 21 and 22. fingers are connected to the terminals 41and 42 of the battery 19 by means or" the shunts 39 and 40, which areinsulated by beads. The two arms 33 and 34 as well as the arms 35'and 36aremovable around the and 28.

A shaft 43 which can be operated from the exterior of the machine bymeans of a lever, the end of which is shown at44,is formed to the shaperepresented, which will be seen by the successive sections, Figs. 3, 4,and '6. A flat spiral spring 45 (Fig; 4) tends to make the shaft 43constantly rotate backwards The levers 25 and 26 and 33 and 34 areprovided with projections having suitable outlines which engage withcorresponding parts of the shaft 43 in such a manner that by rotatingthe shaft the rel ative positions of the levers 25 and 26 and 33 and34can be modified.

In the normal position the brushes 21 and 22 are withdrawn from thecommutator by the shape of the shaft 43, the fingers 35 and 36 .are notpressed 'on' the brushes and the springs 29 and 30 are wound up.

If by means of the part 44 the shaft 43 is rotated from the outsidethrough an angle of about 40 in the direction indi cated by the arrow(Fig. 3-), the springs-29 and .30, by reason of the shape of the shaft-43, shown in Fig. 6, causes the brushes to engage with the commutator.By means of a further rotation of about 13, see'Fig. '3, the fingers 35and 36 are, by reason of the shape of the shaft 43, as shown in Fig. 5,caused'to press on the brushes 21 and 22, thereby putting the battery inparallel with the dynamo machine. I

By continuing the rotation through 37 (Fig. 3) a suflicient pressurewill be obtained between the fingers .35 and 36 and the brushes 21 and22 to furnish an excellent contact.

The part 44 at this point abuts against the part 48 which is. fixed tothe dynamo (Fig. 3). battery 19 and operates as a series motor by reasonof the fields 6 and 7. fields 4 and 5 also add their fluxes to assistin'starting, and no large current can pass the following order 1. Afteran angle of about 37 (Fig. 3) is described the current is broken betweenthe fingers35 and 36 on the one hand and the brushes 21 and 22 on theother hand,

These 7 pivots 27 The machine is-driven by the The shunt then after afurther rotationof 13 (Fig. 3)

the brushes are raised from the commutator without breaking any current,and the spring 45 returns the shaft 43 to its normal position, when theface 4610f the shaft 43 comes opposite the face 47.

2. The current furnished by the battery will be broken between thefingers 35 and 36 and the carbon brushes 21 and 22' if the in ternalcombustion enginedoes not start, but no current will be broken betweenthese brushes and the commutator; consequently it is impossible for thelatter to becomedeteriorated by reason of the sparking.

It will be understood that difie'rent apparatus can be employed forcarrying out the system of the present invention. i

The invention is not limited to the start.- of internal combustionengines as it can be applied ina "eneral manner to all suitably woundinulti-pole dynamos, and can be carried out by any description ofcontact.

supplied from a battery of accumulators for the purpose of its operationas a motor, to be broken directlv between the movable brushes and thecommutator so that all deterioration of the commutator is avoided.

' i I claim.

1. In an electric machine adapted to operate as a generator or a motor,a pair of brushes for the samewhen operating as a generator, asecondfp'air of brushes for the same when operating as a motor, meansfor putting the latter brushes in contact with the commutator and meansoperable to establish an electrical contact between said latter brush-esand the accumulators, after said brushes have engaged the commutator;

for putting the latter brushes in contact with the commutator, contactsfor establishing a circuit between said latter brushes and theaccumulators, means subsequently operable to cause the. engagement ofthecont acts with the brushes, said 'means being Further operable to movethe contacts out of engagementwith-the brushes and finally the brushesout of engagement with the commu-;

tator. v I

In testimony whereoi l efiix my. signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

V AUGUSTE DUTBEUX. Witnesses l i I CHAs. P. PRESSLY, HENRI oce ns.

